SWIM

My very first swimming lesson is still eerily vivid in my mind.  I was four years old when my mom took my brother and me for swimming lessons at the YMCA.  I had never seen a swimming pool with such a vast expanse.  We got on our swimming trunks, were brought out with a group of other kids, and told to sit by the water’s edge.  I am not sure how long they talked to us before unleashing us into the water, but up to this point the most water I had been in was our bathtub at home.

The instructor told us, “Stand up, get in the water, and hold on to the edge.”  I heard, “Stand up, run as fast as you can, and jump into the water.”  After initiating the sequence I heard, I found myself fighting with all of my might to stay above water.  I was thrashing in that water for all I was worth.  All I could see was water engulfing me as I was screaming with every head bob above the water, “Help!”  The instructor was yelling back at me, “Stand up!”  Again I heard, “Blah, blah, blah!”  All I knew was that I was in for the fight of my young life and I needed help.  As she drew near to me she grabbed me up out of the depths of this vast expanse of engulfing water.  She again said in a much calmer voice, “I said to stand up.”  I then heeded her words, locked my trembling knees, stood up, and realized that I was in the shallow end of the pool.  That’s right; my head was above the water when I stood up.

Matthew 14:30-31

“But when [Peter] saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink.  ‘Save me, Lord!’ he shouted.  Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him. ‘You have so little faith,’ Jesus said. ‘Why did you doubt me?’”

The circumstances of this life can be quite engulfing too.  We doubt the words of Jesus and sink further into despair.  We cry out for help, but doubt that it will ever come.  It is in moments like these we should turn our eyes to Jesus, and take them off the vast expanse of our engulfing troubles.  As long as we are here on this earth there will be troubles.  Remember that Jesus loves you and is right there with you through every one of those trials and circumstances that you must face each and every day. 

 

 

Don’t allow the things of this world to keep you from swimming.  After Jesus’ resurrection, Peter was not afraid to get back into the water because he knew he wanted to be where Jesus was.  “…Peter heard that it was the Lord… jumped into the water, and headed to shore. (John 21:7)” The circumstances of life will try to drown you, but swim toward Jesus.  Have faith that he will do what he has said.  Swim toward Jesus!  Focus on Jesus and his promises.  Swim toward Jesus!  Do not allow the engulfing expanse of life’s circumstances to cause you to fear and doubt his word.  Swim!  Swim toward Jesus!

 

In Christ Alone and continuing in prayer,

Chad

Noises

I was in a deep and restful sleep one night when all of a sudden I was awakened by the screaming of my wife.  She was sitting up in the bed tugging on my arm and pointing towards the other room.  She was screaming, “Noise!  Noise!  There was a noise in the other room!  Dog is barking!”  I am a deep sleeper mind you, but the look of fear in my wife’s eyes caused me to quickly jump into action.  That’s right, in one motion I levitated and was standing upright in the bed out of the covers.  I ran to the end of the bed, and with cat like reflexes jumped off the bed hitting the floor running.  As I ran to the other room, I realized there was no thief and no eminent danger to us within the house.

The dog’s reason for barking was that coyotes had come by the house.  The dog was on high alert, which caused my wife to sound her alarm, which caused me to go into panic mode.  However, by the time I got to the back door, the coyotes were gone.  It’s mighty difficult to fall back to sleep after an incident like this that gets your heart rate up from 50 to 160 in 2.6 seconds.  There was so much adrenaline pumping I couldn’t fall back to sleep.

1 Thessalonians 5:2-3 (NLT) “For you know quite well that the day of the Lord’s return will come unexpectedly, like a thief in the night.  When people are saying, ‘Everything is peaceful and secure,’ then disaster will fall on them as suddenly as a pregnant woman’s labor pains begin. And there will be no escape.”

 

All too often the noise of this world distracts us from our walk with God.  If you have fallen asleep on the Lord, then pray that he will wake you out of your deep sleep by whatever means possible.  We think we can run and catch up with him later, but that is not how it works.  When he returns, there will be no running and catching up to him.  Like those coyotes, he will be gone.  How is your walk with God?  Are you asleep?  Ask God daily to keep you awake and walking with Him.  Stay on high alert and never fall asleep in your daily walk with the Lord. 

In Christ Alone and continuing in prayer,

Chad